The Yellow Jackets’ fluctuations, determined largely by swings in their schedule, concluded with three losses in four games, including a 25-17 loss to Mississippi in the Music City Bowl.

It was the seventh bowl loss in eight years for Georgia Tech (7-6), which couldn’t contain Rebels quarterback Bo Wallace (256 yards and a touchdown passing, 86 yards and two touchdowns rushing) and, more to the point, couldn’t get its rushing attack as attuned as necessary.

Georgia Tech rushed for 151 yards, nearly half of the team’s season average of 299.3 yards, and that’s always going to be a problem for a team so reliant on its ground game.

It also marks the seventh time in the last 12 seasons that the Yellow Jackets finished with exactly seven victories.

A few other notes from the ACC’s lone bowl game on the eve of New Year’s Eve …

Mississippi solved Georgia Tech’s offense in a hurry. After the Yellow Jackets scored a touchdown to cap a 14-play drive on their first possession, they had five punts, a fumble and a turnover on downs over their next seven drives.

By the time Georgia Tech mustered anything again, it was early in the fourth quarter and Mississippi was up two possessions. That usually isn’t a good recipe for an option team like the Yellow Jackets.

The Yellow Jackets will miss Jemea Thomas. Perhaps he was a bit overlooked, but the defensive back (he played both cornerback and safety this season) was a crucial element of the Yellow Jackets’ defense. While a 15-tackle day from a safety isn’t the most ideal thing on most occasions, Thomas did have three tackles for loss and a sack as he capped his college career.

He’s not the only regular contributor Georgia Tech will have to replace in 2014. When the Yellow Jackets next take the field, they’ll have at least six new starters on defense. Five seniors started on offense, and senior punter Sean Poole will also be gone.